BY DEBBIE PAGE
debbiepage.iredellfreenews@gmail.com
The Troutman Planning and Zoning Board voted in May to recommend approval of the revamped Troutman Townes’ conditional rezoning request and a rezoning/annexation request for a shopping center near Iredell Charter School. The board also voted to deny approval of the Houston Road distribution center.
The final decision on rezoning requests for both projects could come on Thursday night at the Troutman Town Council meeting.
TROUTMAN TOWNES
After being pulled from the council meeting agenda last month after the Planning and Zoning voted against the project in April, developer Touche went back to the drawing board and create a scaled-down Troutman Townes project that fit into the four units per acre zoning recommendations for the area on the 2035 Future Land Use Map.
The 24-acre project now has 96 units, down from 165, dropping the density from 6.9 to 3.99 units per acre. Undisturbed natural areas increased from 2.37 to 4.35 acres, and total open space rose to 14.65 acres (57 percent of site) from 11.15 acres, with larger pockets of community green areas now included.
The reduction in units included more duplex units, an increase from one-car to two-car garages and driveways, and more space separation from Eastway Drive. Unit cost will run in the low $300,000s.
The units will have Everlast composite siding, shutters on windows, and parging, similar to a stucco look, to cover the masonry foundation area.
The revised Traffic Impact Analysis dropped from 86 AM trips and 102 PM trips to 44 AM and 54 PM trips.
After reviewing the changes and hearing staff’s recommendation to accept the project, the board voted unanimously to recommend approval of the project to the Town Council.
HOUSTON ROAD DISTRIBUTION CENTER
The Collette Group requested the rezoning of nearly 92 acres to heavy industrial conditional zoning for the proposed Houston Road Distribution Center, featuring 698,220 square feet of warehousing/distribution space over three buildings, with two on the north side of Houston Road (340,200 and 217,620 square feet) and one on the south side (140,400 square feet).
The site fronts Interstate 77 and Houston Road on the east side of the interstate, an area designated for industrial uses in the Future Land Use Plan. The Summertree subdivision and the Lowe’s Planogram are located nearby.
Developers will make contributions toward future road improvements identified in the Traffic Impact Analysis toward the U.S. 21/Houston Road/Flower House Loop realignment (planned for 2025) and a northbound right turn lane with 100 feet of storage.
The developers would have to construct northbound and southbound approaches to the project site, along with one ingress and one egress on Houston Road.
Staff recommended approval because it aligns with the Troutman Strategic Master Plan and would be subject to site plan approval as well as Design Review Board, and Town Council approval of building facades.
Collette Industrial Development Manager Teddy Hull said the Class A, four-story industrial facilities planned for the site are speculative units with no tenant currently in place. He said potential tenants could be involved in distribution, assembly, warehousing, or light manufacturing.
“We want to be good neighbors and build quality buildings because we want to be welcomed back to do other projects,” said Hull.
The site would have 150 to 200 truck spaces, employee car parking, and a total of 185 docks over the three buildings.
Hull noted that the facilities’ truck traffic was typically during off-peak times so it would have little impact on the Traffic Impact Analysis. Total trips for the area were estimated at 350 for peak AM and PM drive times.
The traffic impact study included all currently approved development and background growth of 20 percent annually, Hull said.
Speakers were concerned about the buildings’ height, site buffers, and increased traffic occurring before road improvements are complete.
Despite staff recommendation for approval, the board voted 3 to 1 (1 abstained) to deny recommendation of the project to Town Council.
SOLID ROCK VENTURES
Solid Rock Ventures requested the rezoning and annexation of nearly 18 acres on U.S. 21 just north of Iredell Charter School for a shopping center anchored by a grocery store chain. Staff recommended approval of the rezoning.
No site plan has yet been presented, and a Traffic Impact Analysis would be required prior to site plan approval. The highway business designation is consistent with the Future Land Use Plan for interchange commercial uses.
The board voted unanimously to approve recommendation of the project rezoning to the council.